Chapter 76
One day in the winter of Zendal.
The rain that had fallen all night had stopped, leaving the ground damp in the dim early dawn.
Two figures stepped out of the Emperor’s palace.
“I’ll take you as far as the Prodinta Palace.”
“I can manage on my own. It’s the same route I take every day.”
“Still… I’m just worried you might faint again like last night. What if you collapse along the way?”
“Ugh… I told you, it wasn’t because I was weak yesterday.”
Ari pouted, noticing mischief in Allend’s expression.
“And if we go in together after sneaking out, Sir Kadian will be surprised.”
Allend clicked his tongue in displeasure.
“…I don’t know why I even assigned a bodyguard.”
Hearing that, Ari’s face lit up.
“Oh, then can I just have a bodyguard from morning till evening? Your Majesty doesn’t have a bodyguard at night, so I can also respect the knights’ work-life balance…”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but. That’s not allowed.”
Allend was firm.
Aside from matters of romantic feelings, happiness, or strange lessons, he could do anything the Saintess wanted—but bodyguarding was a different issue.
Derachi’s sending intruders to the Saintess hadn’t happened just once.
Since then, only three of the intruders’ identities had been revealed.
Among those who committed suicide, some were likely sent by Derachi.
Even without Derachi, there were many who sought to harm the Saintess.
“If not, it’s fine then.”
Allend watched Ari make a disappointed face in front of him.
Though he didn’t show it, he had been shaken yesterday.
Carrying the unconscious Saintess and realizing that her breath was like that of a sleeping person—he couldn’t maintain his composure.
Even controlling the overwhelming divine power within him had become difficult.
Afterward, fearing that the Saintess might be hurt by his divine power, he had no choice but to stay at a distance and watch her lying on the bed.
‘This really won’t do.’
The thought of Ari walking back alone made his anxiety surge.
She said she would take the usual route she walks every day.
And yet, why did he feel so restless?
Allend draped a cloak over Ari and said,
“I’ll take you only to the nearby area. That way, no one will know you’re the Saintess.”
“Then there will be rumors about boots walking around the palace.”
Ari looked at her now-transparent body, worried.
Even in the early dawn, there would be a few people around.
No matter how many times they look, they would still stare at the Emperor’s appearance.
Whether guards or early risers, they wouldn’t be able to look away from the Emperor—and they’d notice the boots walking alongside him.
“And if rumors spread that those cursed boots are attached to Your Majesty—”
“…Saintess, don’t you actually like those kinds of stories?”
“No, I find them horrifying.”
Though, it seemed like accidents kept spiraling toward that kind of story.
Allend chuckled lightly.
“If rumors spread, we’ll correct them—not cursed, but rare boots. Shoes that move on their own. Many will covet them. Where should I hide them, I wonder?”
“…Ugh. Don’t joke.”
Ari was relieved the cloak covered her.
She thought, that sly comment was clearly meant to tease her.
Beneath her reddened cheeks, her uncontrollable lips twitched on their own.
‘If that’s not flirting—he’s genuinely scary! Your Majesty!’
The argument over whether he would escort her or she would go alone ended with Allend’s victory.
By the time their footsteps leaving the Emperor’s palace could no longer be heard,
a noble crawled out from the nearby flowerbed bushes.
“….”
A provincial noble, he was scheduled to leave the palace today.
After staying here for months, the day to depart had finally arrived.
Restless and unable to sleep, he wandered the palace since dawn.
He saw the palace where the revered Emperor resided, paused for a moment, and then caught sight of the two coming out. Shocked, he hid in the nearby bushes, holding his breath.
It felt like he had seen what he shouldn’t and heard what he shouldn’t.
Though damp soil clung to his body, this was no time to care.
“…Seikan, divine one.”
The noble called out the god’s name, his face full of emotion.
“….”
Strange.
The palace atmosphere felt strange.
“It’s the Saintess.”
“It’s the Saintess.”
On the way to the chapel.
Even normally, he would sometimes hear such words.
But never had he felt like the main character of such an enormous rumor.
He strained his ears but could only hear phrases like, “Saintess,” “Be happy,” “Glory of Seikan to Zendal.”
Moreover, if someone’s eyes met hers, they would smile happily, blush and look away, or make a sad face.
What’s happening?
Can’t we just share a bit of this?
Anyway.
‘It’s overwhelming…’
The flood of gazes was suffocating.
These were not people like His Majesty, whose attention she could breathe freely around.
‘I can’t see it. I can’t hear it. It doesn’t matter. Aaaah—’
She raced forward like a thoroughbred to the chapel.
The familiar space brought comfort. ‘Finally, I can breathe a little,’ she thought.
“Ha ha. Finally. Congratulations.”
“…Do I have anything to be congratulated for?”
“Ha ha ha.”
Unexpected congratulations from Priest Raul, and,
“Congratulations… Saintess.”
“Harper, why are you crying?”
“Compared to Bonia’s knights—…”
Even tearful Harper.
She asked Dun, standing behind her,
“…Sir Dun. Do you know something?”
“I apologize for my lack of skill…”
…Why is Dun suddenly digging a tunnel?
Even during cleaning, all those stares kept pricking at her.
So she went straight to the palace lab.
She thought she might sneak out after entering the room, but today Dun was alert, guarding her. That was impossible.
In the end, she brought Dun, but today her purpose wasn’t divine power training—it was evacuation!
‘Yes, here…!’
She could finally be away from the suffocating gazes.
“Oh, Saintess.”
Chobi, coming out of the underground lab, acknowledged her.
He was unusually with another person.
A large, fresh-faced young man, like the beloved son of a noble house.
He wore the same gown as Chobi, so he seemed to be a researcher there.
Oh! This was the first staff member she’d met here.
“Did you come to use the lab?”
“Something like that. Is the person beside you a staff member?”
“Ah, this is—”
“Oh! Greetings! Saintess! It’s an honor!”
The researcher bowed deeply with a strained voice, greeting loudly.
Chobi, standing beside him, frowned at the sudden auditory assault and rubbed his ears.
“Hey, rookie. If you say it’s an honor without giving your name, how is the Saintess supposed to know?”
“It’s Rondayman! It’s an honor to meet you—!”
Chobi interrupted Rondayman’s greeting and grinned at her.
“With His Majesty the Emperor—”
“Ah, a-ah! Director!”
“…Lab Director.”
Rondayman and Dun rushed forward and covered Chobi’s mouth with their hands.
“What are you doing?”
“It seems the director misspoke.”
“Yes, yes! Our director’s words were—!”
Dun spoke calmly, Rondayman echoed him, but when he made eye contact with Chobi, he turned pale.
But, guys.
“~~!!”
…It seemed like Chobi was scolding them.
Clearly, they were hiding something from her.
And everyone else knew, except her.
“…Everyone.”
At her words, three pairs of eyes turned to her.
“There are two ways to make someone angry.”
Dun and Rondayman flinched and lowered their hands.
“One is to stop speaking midway.”
“Sa-Saintess?”
Swallow.
She heard the three nervous people gulp.
“The other is…”
She paused for effect and continued.
“…also stopping in the middle of speaking.”
“Both the same…”
They wanted to say both were the same, but Chobi and Dun covered Rondayman’s mouth.
“You fool, that means she’s angry now.”
Chobi whispered ventriloquially to Rondayman, then asked her awkwardly,
“Haha. Saintess, are you angry?”
“Ah, no.”
She shook her head and added tension to the easing atmosphere.
“I’m not angry yet.”
At the word ‘yet,’ the three exchanged hurried glances, unsure what to do.
Now if she asked, they would answer, right?
Maintaining a serious face, she asked them,
“So… after His Majesty the Emperor, what’s next?”
And then.
Chobi’s unfiltered raw rumors made her mind oscillate in real-time.
“They say you spent the night at the Emperor’s palace and came out in the morning?”
That was true.
“They say every night you evade the bodyguards and visit His Majesty’s palace.”
Ah, so that’s why Dun was acting weird today.
But wait, it wasn’t at night!
She had just seen His Majesty’s face from afar in the early dawn!
“They say when you two are alone, you speak lightly like lovers?”
That’s because His Majesty shows his true self only when they’re alone!
They aren’t even lovers!
“So the rumors spread in the morning. That the Saintess and His Majesty have nightly passionate—!”
“Ugh, ughh…!”
She could not bear to hear more and covered Chobi’s mouth with her hand.
I, I…!!
I only waited until the rain stopped!
I stayed in my bed! The Emperor on the sofa!
We spent the night guarding our own spaces…!
I tried to go to the sofa, but he absolutely wouldn’t switch.
‘His Majesty caught up in such a scandal…! And with me!’
She wanted to bite a handkerchief in frustration but couldn’t show it.
This wasn’t the time to rejoice for clearing up the Valentine chocolate misunderstanding.
“…Then why were they acting like it was something that mustn’t be spoken of?”
Chobi blinked her pink eyes and pointed her finger.
Then she indicated Dun and Rondayman standing far behind her.
From the moment Chobi began speaking of the rumors, the two had backed up, stuck to the wall with nowhere else to go.
“Sir Dun and Rondayman?”
They turned to her, and upon meeting her gaze, flinched and looked away.
“Zhune Dri (those two).”
Ah, my hand.
As soon as she removed her hand from Chobi, a clear voice continued.
“Their organization is extremely strict. They told us not to utter a word about the rumor, to control the spread of what’s already spread.”
“Organization?”
“Well, to protect what they like…”
Dun and Rondayman shook their heads vigorously.
Chobi frowned, seeming fed up with them, and trailed off.
What is this, some sort of club?
Promoting wholesome palace culture…
“But, Saintess.”
While she pondered the organization’s identity, Chobi called to her.
Then whispered to her in a voice the two couldn’t hear,
“About His Majesty… to the point of losing consciousness in bed?”
“….”
Ahhhhh…
